Never Give Up, Never Say Die
by DaughteroftheRedKing
Summary: AU. By a twist of fate, Flynn and Yuri find themselves thrust into the rule of a cruel leader who would stop a nothing to kill them both. (Kingdom-like setting) (Rated T for violence and possible swearing)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello there my lovely little readers! Welcome to another ToV multi-chap fanfic! (Actually, it's my second, but ToV is the most common thing I've written. o_0 )**

**So, this one is a little different! AU pre-game setting, and we've got royalty and class galore. Well, not really, but you get my meaning.**

**Basically...kingdoms.**

_**Dun dun dunnnnn!**_

**So, I didn't actually know the name of the Empire. So I just called it Zaphias. Seems legit.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Vesperia. It belongs to Namco Bandai.**

* * *

They were running. Rushing through the streets and pushing past people, stammering apologies as they went. Any time he tripped, his parents pulled him back up, not giving a chance to rest. When he began to lag, they picked him up and carried him, giving him the chance to look over his shoulder.

The soldiers chasing them were emotionless, their swords and spears pointing at them menacingly. No matter how fast they ran, or how many times they ducked down small alleys, the soldiers followed them.

His mother gave a little sob as she stumbled slightly, and his father reached out, steadying her.

"Just a little longer, Lana. I promise, we'll be out soon," he panted, glancing over his shoulder at the knights before lengthening his stride.

Just as they were reaching the edge of the city, running towards the edge of the barrier, one of the knights lifted a crossbow and fired. He watched in shock as it travelled the short distance, plunging through his mother's heart. She stiffened then fell, eyes wide but empty.

His father came to a brief halt, his breath catching, then he shook his head before turning and continuing to run, clutching him tightly. He looked back at the prone figure of his mother and felt tears rising, and buried his head in his father's shoulder.

* * *

They spent several months out in the wilderness, walking listlessly. Before long, their meagre supplies ran out, and any food or water his father could find was given to him, only a small amount being held back for his father to live off.

One day, he grinned as he spotted a large city. "Dad! Look!" he cried, pointing. His father glanced up slightly before he suddenly fell, hitting the ground hard. He jumped before turning back, eyes widening as he saw him. He quickly ran back, kneeling beside his father.

"Dad? Dad, please, don't do this.."

"S-Sorry...but you must..go on alone...Go to that city...you'll...be safe there.." his father murmured before his eyes slid shut, body going still.

For a moment he was quiet, then he gently squeezed his father's hand. He stood up and continued walking, eyes cast downwards but no tears rising.

He didn't care anymore.

He had no tears left.

* * *

Prince Yuri sighed, stretching and giving a wide yawn. He jumped down from the seat he had been sitting on in his bedroom and went to the door, opening it. The maid cleaning the main area of his room looked up as he walked out, and smiled.

"Good afternoon, Your Highness. Where are you going today?" she asked.

"I was thinking of going down into the city for a little while...Tell my father, would you?" he said.

"Of course, Your Highness. Should I alert your guard, as well?"

"No, that's okay. They've got enough soldiers posted down there anyway, and I don't plan on going to any of the bad areas."

"If you say so, Your Highness. I hope you enjoy yourself."

Yuri grinned at her then headed out of the room, walking down the hallway to the entrance. He went down the steps, waving to the guards posted at the gate, then ran towards the city, looking around in interest.

People called out greetings as they spotted him. He was a pretty common sight down in the city, as he spent a lot of his time making friends with the citizens in an attempt to understand what their problems were so that he could be a good king when he was older.

As he wandered around the streets, looking at the wares, he saw a small boy sitting with his back against a wall. He looked around Yuri's age, and was covered in dirt and grime. Yuri guessed he'd probably have blonde hair under the dirt, but it was hard to tell.

He hesitated for a moment then walked towards him, kneeling down infront of the boy. The boy glanced up slightly, showing bright blue eyes, then went back to staring at his knees.

"Hello. Who are you?" Yuri asked, tilting his head.

The boy didn't reply, burying is head further down.

Yuri frowned, then glanced around. "Where are your parents?"

"...Dead," the boy replied finally. Yuri looked back in surprise, then looked worried.

"I-I'm sorry..."

He wondered for a moment if the boy was crying, but couldn't see properly enough. He nudged him.

"Are you okay?"

His constant badgering finally made the boy look up at him directly, showing his face properly. Yuri blinked. His eyes were a beautiful light blue, like a cloudless summer day, yet they were dark and empty. Pain shone in them, and for a moment he was captivated. Then he shook his head.

"Do you have a home?"

"...No."

"Well...why don't you come back with me?"

"Why?"

"You don't have anything, right? I promise, while you're with me, you'll be looked after really well."

The boy gazed at him. "I don't have anything to give in return."

"Then...just become my servant. Or guard. Either, really."

The boy looked surprised, then doubtful. "You barely know me. Why are you offering this?"

"I dunno...There's something about you. Like, I should know you really well, or something." Yuri shrugged, grinning. "Maybe we were destined to meet!"

The boy stared at him a moment, then gave a slight smile. "Yeah...maybe."

"So you'll come back with me?"

After a moment, he nodded. "Okay," he agreed, and Yuri stood up, extending a hand to him. The boy hesitantly took it, and Yuri helped him up, leading him back up to the castle.

The boy seemed surprised when he realised that Yuri lived there, then bit his lip.

"Y'know...I'm not sure I should really be hanging around with you if you're royalty.."

"Don't be silly. Father is used to me making friends with commoners."

"But do you usually house them?"

"No, but our policy here is to always help someone in need. Our family is for the people, and we strive to make sure everyone is treated equally and fairly. Kinda like our sister kingdom, Zaphias."

The boy stared down at his feet. "...Zaphias probably won't be like that much longer."

"Huh? Why? Wait, did you come from Zaphias?"

The boy nodded, and Yuri bit his lip.

"Something must have happened then...we'll talk to my father later, okay?"

"Right."

"What's your name, by the way?"

"...Flynn. Flynn Scifo."

"Yuri Lowell, nice to meet you!"

* * *

His maid, Maria, looked up then smiled as she spotted Yuri pulling a blonde boy behind him.

"Welcome back, Your Highness. Is this a new friend of yours?" she asked.

"Yeah! He's called Flynn, and he's going to be my new guard from now on!"

Maria giggled then bowed to Flynn. "Please take care of the Prince, then," she said.

Flynn blinked then stared at Yuri. "Wait...you're a boy?" he said, then clapped a hand on his mouth as he realised how rude he had just been.

Yuri pouted. "I know my hair is pretty long, but honestly..."

"No, it's just...you're pretty, so I assumed.." Flynn stammered, trying to fix the situation, then went even redder as what he said occured to him.

Yuri raised an eyebrow, then laughed. "You're weird, Flynn."

Flynn didn't reply, just clutched the edge of his ragged shirt as his face went beetroot red.

Yuri motioned to a door. "The bath is over there. Just get yourself cleaned up, and I'll find some clothes for you to wear, okay?"

Flynn nodded mutely, walking over to the door and heading in. Yuri glanced over at Maria, who had already started looking for some clothes.

"Maria, I can do that, you don't need to..." Yuri started, but Maria shook her head.

"You're the Prince, Your Highness. It would be rude for me to make you look for something so trivial."

Yuri rolled his eyes. "See, this is why I'm constantly bored. You're lucky I'm not spoiled!" he said with a grin. Maria giggled, then went back to searching for some clothes.

* * *

Flynn was soon cleaned up, and stepped out, wearing a few of Yuri's old clothes. He glanced down at them, considering, then smiled at Yuri.

"Thanks," he said happily.

"No problem. So, what should we do now?" Yuri asked, swinging his feet from where he was sitting on the windowsill.

"Um...What do you usually do?" asked Flynn.

Yuri shrugged. "I don't really do anything except go down to town."

"What about hanging out with friends?"

The little prince shook his head. "I...don't have any. Everyone thinks they can't play with me..."

Flynn frowned. "Oh..Don't you have any siblings or cousins?"

"No, Father was an only child, and my mother died a short while after I was born. Father has never remarried so..."

Flynn considered this. "Well...how about we be friends then?" he suggested, before smiling and holding out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Yuri. I'm Flynn," he said, grinning.

Yuri gazed at his hand a moment, then smiled shyly and took it. "Nice to meet you too, Flynn."

Flynn nodded happily. "So, do you have a garden? Maybe we could play tag or hide and seek."

"What are they?"

"Tag is when someone is 'it' and everyone runs around, trying not to get tagged by 'it'. If they do, that makes them 'it'. Hide and seek is when one person closes their eyes and counts to one hundred while everyone else hides, then they try to find them," Flynn explained.

Yuri considered. "How about...hide and seek?"

Flynn nodded. "Sure! Okay, where's the garden?"

"This way," Yuri said, leaping onto the floor and leading Flynn down the hallways to the garden.

* * *

**A/N: Meh, this is pretty much a prologue. I just needed to get Flynn and Yuri together before the actual serious stuff starts happening. Though, there ****_was _****a little plot development. That little tiny bit at the beginning.**

**Review?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: (Y'know, I'm not sure why I put a/n at the beginning...I mean, if it's in bold, it's an authors note. Maybe I just like doing pointless stuff..such as pointless a/n's *shrug*)**

**Thanks to all the awesome reviews for the first chapter! Not very much happens in this one yet, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!**

* * *

Yuri pushed open the large double doors leading to the throne room and entered, walking towards to his father.

"You called for me, Father?" he asked, bowing his head.

"Yes...I felt it best to inform you that our sister country, Zaphias, has declared war on us."

Yuri blinked. "What? Why?" he asked, confused.

"We're not sure ourselves...However, it appears the previous King, King Damon, was forced to flee the country with his wife and seven year old child. His brother, Kane, has taken over as the King."

Yuri frowned. Flynn had said something about Zaphias changing...but how could he have known? That didn't make sense...

"Where did Damon flee to?"

"We assume he was heading here, but it appears he either found a safer place or died, as no sign of him, his child or his wife has been reported."

Yuri nodded slowly, then focused. "What are we going to do?"

"I'll send a messanger out, asking for an audience with Kane...If we cannot reach a peaceful conclusion, we may have to go to war. If that happens, you will either have to moved to a safer location or put under constant guard."

Yuri pulled a face, not really liking the idea of either of those, then sighed. "Very well. Is that all?"

His father blinked. "Yes...Are you alright, Yuri? Usually you prefer to stay for a little longer..."

"I'm fine. I just made a friend the other day and I don't want to keep him waiting too long."

"Oh, really? Who is he?"

"His name is Flynn Scifo."

His father stiffened slightly, then frowned. "I see...and when did he arrive?"

"I found him about three days ago...He's become my personal guard."

"And he has shown no signs of hostility?"

"No...Why? Is there something wrong, Father?"

"No, there's nothing wrong. I was just a little surprised, is all." After a moment he nodded. "Alright, you may go. I hope you...have fun."

Yuri blinked, then smiled. "Thank you, Father," he replied, bowing before heading out of the room. As soon as he stepped out, he ran through the hallways back towards where Flynn was waiting in his room.

His father's reaction was unusual...But it didn't really matter. Yuri had a friend, and that's all that mattered to him.

* * *

It had been five months since then. Yuri's father had attempted to make peaceful negotiations with the new Emperor, but Kane had refused to withdraw his declaration of war, attempting to at attack his father in the process. Luckily, his skills had saved him, but the kingdom had been at war ever since.

Yuri walked through the corridors, hands behind his head. Flynn walked at his side, the two alread used to the plethora of guards following them. There weren't actually as many as there would have been originally, as Flynn had proven himself quite proficient with the sword. Plus, Yuri could fight too, so the two boys together made quite a force to be reckoned with.

The month of war had been a long one. Yuri soon found that the streets of the city were empty, and it was daunting just to be down there. He preferred to stay up at the castle, playing with Flynn in the numerous games the blonde thought up.

One day, Yuri woke up to find Maria shaking his shoulder. He yawned, rubbing his eyes, then sat up, gazing at her blearily.

"Maria? What's the matter?" he asked.

"We need to leave, Your Highness. King Zane has ordered that you be moved to a safer location as a large army from Zaphias is heading here," she explained, starting to hurriedly pack several clothes away.

"How far are they?" asked Yuri, nudging Flynn beside him then jumping out of bed. The blonde looked around in confusion, watching as they got ready for a moment then climbing out of the bed.

"Not far...an hour at the most. It'll be very close," Maria replied, stuffing some essentials into a bag.

Yuri and Flynn quickly got dressed, strapping their swords to their sides then helping Maria to pack away some stuff. Yuri grabbed a couple of personal belongings, then glanced around the room.

"I think that's it..." he murmured, brushing a hand through his hair before reaching down to grab one of the bags.

The window suddenly smashed and the three of them glanced up, staring as a man leapt towards Yuri, knife glinting. There was the clash of metal on metal as Flynn leapt forward, drawing his sword and blocking the knife; then he was thrown backward against the wall, stumbling as he regained his footing.

The man turned back to Yuri and he leapt towards the boy once more even as Yuri went for his sword.

Blood splattered across his face and Yuri stared, barely taking in what he was seeing.

Maria fell to the ground, her blood pooling around her. She coughed, wheezing, blood dribbling from the corner of her mouth. The man shook his head then turned back to Yuri, lifting his knife and slashing at him.

Then Flynn was there again, blocking the knife and holding his ground, the two struggling against each other for a moment. Then Flynn twisted his sword slightly, causing the man to lose his grip on his knife. A moment later Flynn's sword plunged through his heart, and he fell, dead.

Flynn turned back, watching as Yuri knelt next to Maria. He gazed at her a moment, closing his eyes and gripping her hand. She smiled gently, reaching up to cup his cheek before finally her eyes darkened and she fell limp.

Yuri bit his lip as he gazed at her, then shook his head before standing and turning away, grabbing some bags. He hefted them onto his shoulder and looked back at Flynn.

"Come on, we should get going," he said.

"Aren't you going to mourn?" asked Flynn, confused.

Yuri glanced back at Maria, then shook his head. "This may be a bit confusing but...I have no more tears to shed."

Flynn blinked. Yuri...Yuri was like him too?

..Maybe that was why they were so alike.

The two boys quickly hurried out of the room, Yuri glancing around for the guards that were supposed to escort them briefly. A sudden explosion rocking the castle made them both jump, then Yuri scowled.

"It must have been the reinforcements we spotted. Looks like the main force is already attacking."

"What should we do?" asked Flynn, glancing around.

"We need to get out of here, first and foremost. The front will probably have a battle going on, so we'll try through the gardens or any of the side entrances," Yuri decided. The two boys quickly hurried down one of the corridors, heading for the gardens.

They paused at one of the balconies, looking out over the garden to see if it was a viable escape route. That idea was immediately withdrawn as they saw the various fights going on, and the dead bodies littering the ground that could hinder them as they tried to escape.

"Okay, side exit it is," Flynn said, rushing off down a different direction. Yuri was close behind him, the two keeping an ear for any enemies.

Running feet and the clashing of metal made them pause, and they drew their swords before getting into their stances, waiting. A moment later a group of knights rounded the corner, wearing the uniform of Zaphias' forces.

The knights paused a moment as they spotted the two boys, snorting to each other and about to mock them, before the two boys leapt at them. Within seconds they were felled, and they carried on their way, keeping their swords at the ready as they raced down the hallways.

"If Kane's forces are this far in the castle, we have to assume it's been compromised. Be on your guard," Yuri called back to Flynn.

"That means a lot of exits will be blocked, right? How are we going to get out?" asked Flynn.

Yuri bit his lip, quickly turning the layout of the castle in his mind. "There are secret passageways, but I'm not sure where they would be...It would take too long to find them, too," he said.

Flynn suddenly stopped, and Yuri stopped as well, padding back to him.

"What is it?"

"Is the castle in Zaphias constructed exactly the same as here?" asked Flynn.

"Yeah...so that both rulers would know the other's weaknesses. It was supposed to put off war."

"Then I might know where one of the secret passageways are. Follow me," Flynn said, turning and rushing back the way they had come. Yuri quickly ran after him, glancing about as they hurried down the hallways.

They soon came to a room with a the statue of the angel in it, before Flynn suddenly stopped. Yuri nearly crashed into him, looking round him before paling.

Numerous knights stood there, gazing at the two boys, then one of them pointed to them.

"Get them!" he ordered, and the troops quickly rushed towards them.

"They're coming through the secret passageways! That's why we haven't spotted them!" Flynn cried as they turned and ran back, various knights following them.

"How are we going to get out then!?" demanded Yuri.

Flynn shook his head, trying to think of a way out of the situation. Then he suddenly blinked.

"Yuri! How close are the houses to the castle?" he asked.

Yuri frowned, not understanding, then he suddenly realised and nodded. "Close enough," he agreed.

"Where the balcony?" asked Flynn.

"This way," Yuri said, turning suddenly down a corridor. Flynn quickly followed him, losing a few of the knights in the progress. The others followed, shouting at them to stop and attempting to hit them with their lances.

It was a mad dash through the corridors, running past even more knights, some fighting the guards of the castle. The guard attempted to slow down the knights chasing them, but were quickly slaughtered.

Yuri glanced back sadly, then shook his head, gritting his teeth. Flynn looked at him out of the corner of his eye, then focused forward again.

They turned another corner in unison, Flynn ending up slightly infront of Yuri. They saw their destination infront of them and sheathed their swords, dropping a couple of bags to lighten their load.

As they reached the balcony, they gathered themselves, leaping up. They stepped onto the balcony then jumped off, aiming for the roofs nearest to them.

Several people fighting outside the entrance looked up in shock as they spotted the two boys, and the knights following them stared openmouthed. Yuri's hair flowed out behind him, and Flynn briefly glanced at him, catching his eye.

Then they hit the roof, rolling to relieve the force and quickly leaping up again. They continued running, not losing any momentum, and jumped to the next roof, making their way out that way.

Eventually they made their way back onto the ground and carried on running, panting heavily. They reached the city limits, pausing a moment as they spotted the reinforcements closing in.

As Yuri caught his breath, Flynn reached into his pack and pulled out a couple of cloaks. He tossed one to Yuri, who caught it easily, then slipped the other on himself. They did them up, pulling the hoods up, then started running again, aiming to get away before the reinforcements arrived.

They spotted a couple of spare horses - Arabians, by their colouring -, their owners lying dead beside them. Flynn hesitated, but Yuri easily leapt up onto the back of one of them, gripping the reins firmly.

"Get up. You know how to ride, don't you?" Yuri asked.

Flynn nodded then also climbed up. He silently thanked the owners, then the two nudged them on and galloped away, leaving the city behind them.

* * *

**A/N: So, more excitement this chapter! I'll be honest; the horses. Those weird little things they ride ****_don't have names_****, so I couldn't call them that! So I went with horses, and then I just decided I didn't care, and put actual horses in.**

**Besides, Arabians are well known for being light-weight, speedy, agile and having a lot of stamina. So, they pretty much suit my purposes.**

**Review?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I originally thought this was gonna last about 10 chapters...I'm not so sure anymore...We've gotten this far in the story in only three chapters... I'm thinking, maybe six. If that.**

* * *

Kane strode into the hall, various knights around him. He smirked as he spotted Zane struggling against the knights who were restraining him.

"You should have surrendered to me when you had the chance, Zane," he said.

"I would never surrendor to someone like you!" Zane snapped, glaring at him.

"Tut tut. Now half of your subjects are dead because of you," Kane gloated. He pulled out a knife, fingering it. "Now, all we need to do is find your son. I'm sure you'll have fun watching him die infront of you."

A soldier suddenly ran in, stopping beside Kane and bowing.

"Sir...I regret to report, the Prince escaped."

Kane seemed to freeze, his expression becoming cold.

"Oh? And how did that come about?" he asked.

"There was a boy with him, helping him...the two escaped our grasp by leaping from a balcony to the roofs. We couldn't get a force together to pursue them fast enough."

"Well, find him. I don't want him wandering about freely," Kane snapped.

Zane chuckled. "That throws your plans out a bit, doesn't it?" he noted.

Kane spun to face him, glaring. He strode over to him, kneeling infront of him and lifting the knife.

"Even if your son escaped, I'll kill you," he snarled, before bringing the knife down.

It plunged into Zane's body, and he stiffened before falling, blood pooling around him. Kane turned away, scowling.

"What are you waiting around for! Find him!" he ordered, the men quickly hurrying away.

* * *

The two boys rode tirelessly, finally reaching a town built around a giant tree. It wasn't too far from Zaphias, but they were only stopping for rest and supplies.

They entered the town a little after midnight, their horses plodding up to the inn. The boys leapt off them, Flynn patting his as Yuri tiredly tied the reins of his to the post outside the inn.

Flynn did the same, the two of them walking up the steps to the inn and pushing the door open. The innkeeper, who apparently had been about to turn in for the night, looked surprised to see them, then worried at how exhausted they looked.

"Good night to you both. What brings you here so late at night?" he asked quietly.

Flynn opened his mouth, but Yuri cut him off. "We're travelling to our cousin's home, but we didn't realise how far the next town was," he replied.

"Ah. One room between ya both?"

"Yes, please," Flynn replied, fishing out his money and paying the specified amount. The innkeeper took it, nodding.

"First room. Sleep well," he said.

The two boys stumbled up the steps, opening the door and heading in. They paused for a moment as they spotted two beds, then Yuri shrugged and headed to the one nearest the door. Flynn hesitated a moment then followed him, the two falling onto the bed and soon falling asleep.

The sun soon rose, it's golden rays falling onto the two sleeping boys. Flynn woke briefly, gazing at it with tired eyes, before they slid shut again and he snuggled against Yuri's back.

A knocking at the door woke them both, and they looked up blearily as it opened and the innkeeper looked in. He smiled as he spotted them.

"Sorry, I didn't want to disturb you, but it's already past midday. I thought you might want to head off soon. I've tended to your mounts, to don't worry."

They blinked, slowly taking this information in, then Yuri shot upright.

"Flynn, we slept half the day! Come on, we'll have to hurry," he said, hurrying out of the room.

Flynn soon followed him, nodding to the innkeeper. "Thank you," he said before running down the stairs after Yuri.

Once they had bought all of their supplies, they went back to their horses, untying the reins and leaping onto their backs. It was already getting on to sunset, and Yuri bit his lip.

"We've lost nearly an entire day to those guys...We may need to have to ride through the night again," he murmured to Flynn. The blonde nodded, already having accepted the fact.

"You're going already? It's pretty late, and a few hours to the next town. Why don't you just stay the night again, and leave tomorrow?" asked the innkeeper, standing at the doorway.

"Sorry, but we really need to hurry. Thank you for your kindness, though. We'll remember it," Yuri said, bowing slightly before clicking his horse on. Flynn smiled at the man then followed, the two quickly nudging them into a gallop and racing out of the town, soon disappearing into the distance.

One of the other villagers glanced up at the innkeeper. "You didn't tell them about those guys?"

"Why should I bother? I've sent them off the wrong way, anyway. No need to call those boys out on their fib," the man replied, turning and heading back into the inn.

* * *

The two boys came to a halt when they reached Capua Nor. They had ridden two days straight, and nearly fell off their saddles when they finally reached the port town.

"Should we book a room at the inn?" asked Yuri tiredly.

Flynn shook his head slowly. "We'll just sleep half the day again. Let's get a ticket for a boat to Capua Torim," he decided, leading the way to the docks.

He quickly negotiated a deal with one of the boat owners, before paying the specified amount. Motioning to Yuri, the two of them climbed on, leading their horses on as well.

"It'll take a couple of hours to reach Capua Torim, so we should get some rest. The captain has agreed to wake us when we arrive," Flynn explained.

Yuri glanced at the captain, frowning. "...I don't trust him," he said.

Flynn followed his gaze, sighing. "I don't either, but he's the last person going out today. I'll stay awake during the journey, so you get some rest."

"No, Flynn, that's not fair. We should take it in turns," Yuri said.

Flynn shook his head. "You're more important than me. It's better for you to get some rest."

Yuri hesitated, then sighed. "Fine, but we're stopping at the inn as soon as we get to Torim, okay?"

Flynn smirked. "Of course. I was about to suggest that," he replied.

Yuri rolled his eyes, then went down to the cabin they had been assigned, Flynn following him.

Yuri settled down on the bed, quickly falling asleep, while Flynn sat with his back against the bed, gazing tiredly at the door. He kept a firm grip on his sword, and years of training and self-control allowed him to fight off sleep, remaining awake as the boat started off for Capua Torim.

About halfway through the trip, the door opened, and the Captain stepped in. Flynn frowned as he spotted him, and stood up.

"Please leave. My friend is resting, and we would like to rest in peace for this trip," he said.

"I know, I just wanted to tell you something," the captain said, walking further into the room.

Flynn tensed. "Then you can tell me at the doorway," he snapped, fear running through him.

"Now that's a little rude," the captain said. He reached behind him, and Flynn's attention snapped to that hand before he realised his mistake. He barely had time to glance back before his other hand hit Flynn, sending him flying back against the wall with a loud crash.

Yuri jerked awake, looking around in confusion and spotting Flynn unconcious against the wall. He looked up as the captain grabbed him round the neck, choking him. He gasped for breath, trying to force him away, before finally he sunk into darkness.

* * *

**A/N: Aww, poor Yuri and Flynn! What's gonna happen?**

**And the Zane/Kane thing...I don't even know why their names are so similar. Zane is a unique name, like Yuri, so I went for that...and Kane was just the name which popped into my head for the other guy. But meh.**

**Review?**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: People we know! Finally!**

* * *

_He pouted as Maria dressed him into formal clothes, hating how stuffy they were._

_"Why do I have to wear this, Maria?" he asked plaintively._

_"We have some important guests arriving soon, Your Highness. We want you to look your best," she replied, smiling as she tied the bottom of his hair with a red ribbon, leaving the ends dangling instead of putting it into a bow._

_He was only three, but he already knew that it was important to make a good first impression on 'important' guests. He stopped his complaints and wriggling, allowing Maria to dress him easily._

_"There we are. You look very handsome, Yuri," Maria murmured, kissing his forehead before standing up._

_Yuri crossed over to the mirror, gazing at his reflection. He certainly did look rather smart..._

_"Should I be serious or cute?" he asked, looking up at Maria. Depending on the guest would depend on how he acted._

_"Do what you want, Yuri. The King has said there's no need to try and win these guests over."_

_"Oh. Okay," Yuri said, surprised. They must be good friends if his father wasn't needing him to try and get him on their good side._

_They headed down to the entrance hall, Yuri taking his place beside his father. A few minutes later, the 'important' guests arrived. Yuri gazed at them in surprise. King Damon leapt off his horse, walking over to the other one and helping his wife and son down._

_"Damon, Lana, it's good to see you again," Zane greeted, stepping forward and holding out his arms. Damon returned the one armed hug, laughing._

_"We wouldn't miss the opportunity for a visit!" he replied, then motioned to the boy. "This is our son. He's only three, but he's certainly got a smart head on his shoulders. Much like his mother!"_

_Zane grinned, then placed a hand on Yuri's shoulder. "This is my boy. Three as well, so maybe the two can become friends!"_

_Yuri gazed at the boy, tilting his head. There was a strange pull towards him...something he'd never felt before. He stepped forward, holding out his hand._

_The boy gazed at him with eyes as blue as the sky, then also went forward, taking Yuri's hand._

_"I'm Yuri Lowell," Yuri introduced, grinning._

_The boy smiled back. "Nice to meet you. I'm Flynn Scifo."_

* * *

The door slammed open, the two boys jerking awake.

"Alright, get up. We've arrived."

Yuri looked around, disorientated. Arrived? Arrived where? Wasn't he back home?

A boot connecting with his side made him yelp, falling back into Flynn. The blonde quickly steadied him, looking up into the cruel face of their captor.

"Where are we?" asked Flynn, moving forward so that he was between Yuri and the man.

"You'll find out soon enough. Now get up."

Flynn scowled then stood, reaching down and helping Yuri up. Yuri blinked as he saw the chain connecting his wrist to Flynn's. What was going on? How long had he been out? The situation was coming back to him, but he had no idea what had happened while he'd been unconcious.

The two boys headed out, Flynn keeping his grip on Yuri's wrist as they walked down the corridor. The man stepped out behind them, hefting a large sword over his shoulder as he followed them to make sure they didn't try any tricks.

"Flynn, what's going on?" asked Yuri, glancing around.

"I don't know everything, but this guy is selling us off. Turns out he's a slave trader, and we're the slaves," Flynn replied quietly.

They stepped off the boat onto sand, and Yuri winced, raising a hand to shade his eyes as he looked around. They glanced back as their horses were led onto the sand, stamping their hooves uncertainly. The man and one of the others climbed onto their backs, and another man walked over to the two boys holding another chain. He reached for Yuri's wrist, but Flynn pushed the purple-head out of the way, lifting his own wrist. The man shrugged and put the chain on, handing the other end to the captain.

The man eyed Flynn then clicked his horse on, starting to lead them on. The two boys began walking, Yuri keeping his gaze fixed on the ground, though he automatically sought out Flynn's hand and grasped it tightly.

Flynn glanced at him, then smiled reassuringly. "We'll get out of this somehow, I promise," he murmured.

Yuri nodded, though he didn't really believe it.

* * *

It took them four hours to reach their destination. The desert heat was unbearable, and the boys soon lagged. Their captor forced them on, and they were given water sparingly. There were no rests, and they both felt close to collapsing when they finally reached the place.

It obviously wasn't fully built, as only the base seemed to have been built, and several people wandered around building it. A man stood infront of them, watching them, and several other people wearing black clothes with red eyes stood around them.

The large man turned as they arrived, glancing at Yuri and Flynn.

"Jonathan, are these the two slaves you promised me? I thought you said they were hard workers!" he snapped.

"They rode two days with no rest, sir, and still managed to remain alert until I knocked them out. They've got a ridiculous amount of stamina," the man leading them, Jonathan, said. He motioned to them. "They've been walking four hours straight through this weather with little water and no rests, and they're still concious," he added.

The large man raised an eyebrow then strode over to them, bending over to get a better look. The two boys glared defiantly back at him, drawing closer to each other.

The large man considered them, then nodded. "Alright, I'll take 'em. Need a couple new slaves anyway, one of mine dropped dead a couple of hours ago, and another looks close to going too."

Yuri stiffened, gripping Flynn's hand tightly, while the blonde stepped protectively infront of him.

"Of course, sir. Then...would two thousand gald be alright?" asked Jonathan.

"Ha! Not on your life. Seven hundred at most."

"One thousand three hundred?"

"One thousand, and that's my final offer."

"Of course sir. Pleasure doing business," Jonathan said, taking the money then passing the chain over to the fat man. Then he and his servant turned before galloping back to where the boat was.

The large man turned to look at them, scowling. "Alright you two. My name is Barbos, and you're mine from now on. Don't ever forget that. If I tell you to do something, you do it, no questions asked. Work well, and you'll be rewarded with extra food and water. Do badly or act rudely, however, and you'll be tied to the post for two days with minimum water and food. Understand?"

They nodded, Flynn barely concealing his glare. Barbos led them over to one of the Red Eyes, passing over to the chain and whispering some instructions. The Red Eyes nodded and Barbos walked off, heading to some shade.

The two boys watched as the chain between them was undone, then another Red Eyes was called over. They had a quick conversation, then the new one grabbed Yuri's wrist, pulling him away despite his protests.

Flynn blinked then turned in confusion, looking at the Red Eyes. "What are you doing? Where are you taking him!?" he demanded.

"You should think about yourself first," the Red Eyes snapped, dragging him in the opposite direction.

Flynn stumbled, his gaze catching Barbos', and he blinked as he saw the man smirking. Anger burned through him as he realised he had just wanted to split the two of them up, and he nearly tried to fight against the Red Eyes leading him just to punch Barbos in the face. Then common sense took over and he quickly controlled himself, casting his gaze to the floor.

...If he did good enough, maybe Barbos would allow them to be put back together.

* * *

Days went by slowly yet fast at the same time. Without even realising it, months passed. It was like hell; they constantly had to lug heavy blocks over to the structure, piling them on top of each other and making sure they were perfect before moving on to another. Despite that, Barbos expected them to manage to do a certain amount of blocks each day, and if that amount wasn't met, you were chained to the post for two days.

At nights, everyone was gathered under a tent together. Everyone was given a number, and that number was where they were supposed to sleep. The two boys quickly discovered they were the furthest away from each other, and spent most nights communicating silently as best they could, mouthing the words so as not to alert the guards that they were communicating.

The other people in the camp seemed to realise the two boys knew each other, and shot them sympathetic looks as they communicated at night or caught a glimpse of each other during the work. Others who knew each other were usually together, and no one knew why they specifically had been separated.

One night, as everyone was heading in, Flynn stepped up as his number was called. The number after him was called, and there was a slight shuffle before the person after him followed. They went into the tent in a steady line, walking to their blankets, then Flynn sat down heavily on his.

A moment later a hand touched his arm and he glanced back before blinking as he spotted Yuri. The purple-head grinned, throwing his arms around the blonde. Flynn smiled, hugging him back, then the two of them quickly got under the covers before the Red Eyes noticed. They spent most of the night whispering to each other before eventually falling asleep.

Though this didn't happen every night, people took it in turns to give the two boys an opportunity to be together. Their happy smiles were usually enough to ease everyone's worries, as the two boys were by far the youngest at the camp, and it seemed unfair to make them suffer the most.

One morning, as everyone was coming out of the tent, Barbos stepped forward. Yuri immediately tried to go back to his normal place in the line, but he'd spotted them already and grabbed Yuri by his collar.

"What did I say about ignoring the rules? You'll be chained to the post," he snarled, dragging him away.

"No! Yuri!" Flynn cried, leaping after him, but he was quickly restrained. Barbos glanced back at him, then smirked.

"Take him to the other one. Leave him there for four days," he ordered. The Red Eyes nodded, grabbing Flynn's wrist and pulling him away.

"Flynn!" Yuri shouted, nearly choking as Barbos tightened his grip on his collar.

"Shut it, brat, or I'll have you chained there for a week," he snapped before dragging him away.

* * *

**A/N: I feel so sorry for Flynn and Yuri in this. I'm sorry I'm so cruel to you! *sobbing***

**Review?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: And now, my final two favourite characters of the game (though one is barely introduced in the game, so I basically made up his personality)**

**Disclaimer: I dO nOt OwN tAlEs Of VeSpErIa.**

* * *

When they finally were both back to working, it was with decidedly less vigour than before. They acted mostly stiff, their eyes dark as they silently lugged rocks back and forth. At night, they would only glance at each other before burying themselves under their covers.

As the days went by and the tower grew larger, another floor was added. Usually Yuri would be working on the top while Flynn worked at the bottom, making them even less likely to see each other. It was on one of the rare days when they were both working on the bottom that the stranger arrived.

He was tall, his red eyes glowing and white hair flowing down his back. It was one of the hotter times of the day, when most of the slaves were taken back under the shade and only those who had displeased Barbos were outside. The two boys found themselves working on the same part for the first time in several months, though they showed no outward sign of even being bothered that they were near each other.

Barbos and several other Red Eyes were napping, the rest of them talking or gambling between themselves. The man went into the tent where the slaves were sitting talking quietly. They looked up, surprised to see the visitor.

"Please, do not be alarmed. My name is Duke. I have noticed this structure being built, and would like to offer the freedom of one of you. I'm afraid I can take no more than one, however, though I will return to free the rest of you as well."

The slaves looked excited at the prospect of freedom, and looked almost ready to turn on each other to be the one who was freed, when a woman stood up. Everyone looked at her, but she kept her gaze on Duke.

"You may be able to take only one adult, but can you take two boys?" she asked. Immediately the others quietened down, nodding in agreement.

"I should be able to. Why would you offer this up, though?"

"They're too young. They've been separated ever since they arrived, and punished any time they come together. They may perish soon if they aren't given the chance to escape. So..please."

Duke nodded. "Where are they?"

She motioned to the tower, and Duke headed out, being careful to avoid being seen by the Red Eyes. He spotted the two boys and headed over to them.

Yuri glanced up as Duke approached, and the white-haired man froze. His eyes were empty, showing no proper emotion, and it made him wonder what they must have been through to get this far.

"Do not fear me. I am here to free you and your companion."

Flynn went still as Yuri blinked, then they slowly shook their heads.

"Barbos'll just chain us up again," Yuri mumbled, turning back. Duke shrugged, about to turn back, when he paused. Their hands were clasped together tightly, as if they were scared to let go. 'Separated ever since they arrived'...though it appeared they needed each other just to live.

"...You will not be caught. I can assure that. The other prisoners opted for you to go, rather than themselves."

"...Well, they're idiots," Flynn muttered.

"Flynn.." Yuri said quietly, glancing at him. Flynn caught his eye, then tilted his head ever so slightly. Yuri bit his lip, then nodded. Flynn sighed, then looked up at Duke.

"..You guarantee we won't be caught? That nothing'll happen to Yuri?" he asked.

Yuri glanced at him, but Duke nodded. "I guarantee."

Flynn looked at Yuri. "You should go..."

"I'm not going without you."

Flynn glanced back at the Red Eyes, then grunted. "Fine. Lead the way," he said to Duke. Duke nodded, starting off. The two boys glanced at the guards then hurried after him, Yuri stumbling slightly but Flynn quickly pulling him back up.

One of the Red Eyes seemed to hear something, as he glanced up and looked towards the tower before standing suddenly.

"The prisoners! Two of the prisoners are escaping!" he shouted.

The others quickly came to attention or woke up, and Barbos heaved himself out of his chair. He quickly realised who it was and scowled.

"Get them!" he ordered, and the Red Eyes quickly gave chase.

Yuri glanced back, then looked at Flynn. "Flynn...!" he cried. Flynn looked back as well then bit his lip, before pushing Yuri infront of him. The purple-head glanced back, but Flynn shook his head.

"Just run!" he ordered. He looked over at Duke, glaring. "I thought you said it was guaranteed we wouldn't be caught!" he snapped.

"You doubt my words?" Duke asked.

"You don't seem to be sticking to them at the moment!" Flynn replied.

Duke gave a faint smirk, then stopped and lifted a hand. The two boys stopped a moment later, looking at him as if he was crazy.

"What are you doing?!"

"Elucifer! Come to me!"

For a moment nothing happened, then there was a loud roar and a large dragon-like creature flew down, coming to a halt infront of Duke. The Red Eyes and Barbos came to a halt, staring at it, while Duke leapt onto it's back and turned to the two boys.

"Get on," he ordered. They hesitated then ran forward, Flynn helping Yuri clamber up. Yuri turned and held out his hand, which Flynn grabbed, and soon the two boys were seated behind him.

Duke nodded, then patted the dragon. "Let us leave, Elucifer," he said. The dragon roared in reply then took to the sky, leaving Barbos and the rest of them behind.

* * *

They had been flying for a while, and the few times Duke had taken people across the world on Elucifer's back, most would fall asleep. However, the two boys - despite being obviously exhausted - remained awake, gazing at the scenes around them in awe.

Finally they came to the island, and Elucifer landed, tucking his wings to his side and waiting until everyone had slipped off his back before closing his eyes. A moment later he changed, becoming a Krityan with short black hair and bright green eyes. He smiled gently at the two boys, who were now staring at him.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Elucifer," he said, holding out a hand.

The boys hesitated then shook it one at a time. "Flynn Scifo," Flynn said, taking his hand first. Yuri grabbed it next, grinning.

"Yuri Lowell. Thanks for rescuing us," he said happily.

"My pleasure," Elucifer replied, returning the grin. He motioned to Duke. "This guy is Duke, my best friend. He's a little hard to get along with, but I hope you can put up with him," he said.

"So I'm not the only one with a serious best friend?" Yuri asked, smirking at Flynn. The blonde rolled his eyes and turned away.

"How did you boys even get there? Shouldn't you be with your parents?" asked Elucifer, confused.

Yuri went quiet, gazing at the ground. Flynn glanced back at him, then stepped towards him, taking his wrist.

"Do you want to tell them?" he asked quietly.

"Well..they did save us..."

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

Yuri frowned, then shook his head. "No...I think we need to," he replied, before lifting his gaze to the two men. They looked a little confused, though Duke's face remained mostly neutral.

Yuri sighed. "My parents are both dead, to my knowledge. I...came from the Kingdom of Evalicia...I was the son of King Zane. King Kane, who had just taken over Zaphias, attacked our kingdom, so we had to run away. I think Flynn and I were the only ones to escape."

"And you had both lived there your entire lives?" asked Duke.

"No...Flynn arrived a few months before the attack," Yuri replied.

"Oh? Why did you go there, Flynn?" asked Elucifer.

Flynn hesitated. "My..my parents both died, but my Dad pointed me to the capital..."

"What were their names? You never told me," Yuri said, though his face was expressionless.

Flynn glanced at him, considering, then shrugged. "My parents names were Damon and Lana. They were the previous King and Queen of Zaphias."

The group was silent for a moment, then Yuri nodded. "Yeah, I know."

Flynn looked at him in surprise. "Huh? How? I never told you..."

"I guess you don't remember...You visited my place when we were three, with your parents. That's when we first met."

"How long have you known, then?" asked Flynn, confused.

Yuri looked at Duke. "What's the date?"

He quickly told him, and watched as the two boys stared. Then Flynn went white.

"We...we were there two whole _years_!?" he cried.

Yuri blinked. "Then...I've known two years, I guess."

"I don't even understand how we _survived _that long! The average life for the slaves was four years...and we're kids. We should have died ages back!"

"Stop being depressing," Yuri sighed, bumping his head lightly.

"Do you two have anywhere you need to go?" asked Elucifer.

They shook their heads. "We didn't really have a destination, anyway. We just wanted to get somewhere safe before the knights caught us," Yuri explained.

"You were being chased?" Duke asked.

"Yeah...Lost a lot of sleepless nights because of it."

Elucifer bit his lip. "You've gone through a lot for kids. How old are you, by the way?"

"Well...I turned nine last month...what about you?" asked Flynn.

"Next month," Yuri replied.

"That makes me older than you, right?" Flynn said, smirking.

"Don't rub it in," Yuri muttered.

"That is besides the point," Duke said.

"What this idiot's trying to say is, would you like to travel with us for a while?" Elucifer asked.

The two boys blinked, glancing at each other. After a moment they nodded.

"That..would be really great, if we could," Flynn said.

"So long as you are able to mostly look after yourselves, then you will be allowed to come with us," Duke said.

"We can look after ourselves, don't worry," Yuri reassured him.

"Then, welcome aboard!" Elucifer grinned, ruffling their hair.

* * *

**A/N: Right, so Elucifer. Let me explain you a thing:**

**On tumblr, while looking for pictures of Elucifer's Entelexia form to base his dragon form on, I came across a little text post saying something along the lines of 'Elucifer was probably the opposite of Duke. So, black hair and green eyes'. Thus, Elucifer was born.**

**I don't know if all Entelexia can have human forms, I don't know if Elucifer could, but I'm going headcanon and deciding Elucifer did. And this is who he was. :3**

**Review?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: You know guys, I put so much research into this fic, it's ridiculous. I researched:**

**Weapon types, and their weaknesses.**

**Attacks used by swords.**

**Horse breeds and what they specialise in.**

**The whole 'Great War' thing so I could guess ages and how people would act.**

**Actually, mostly swords.**

**That's a whole lot more research than I usual do. Usually I just check backgrounds and leave it at that.**

* * *

The group spent a couple of months just doing easy travel, allowing the two boys to regain their strength.

Due to the fact that they had been lugging around heavy blocks for the last two years, they had been left with fit - though thin - bodies. This meant that as they slowly regained muscle and fat, how well toned their bodies were was quickly noticed.

Duke also bought them a couple of swords at the next town they stopped at, and they restarted their training, practicing by fighting against each other. Flynn could see the irritation on Yuri's face as he realised just how dulled his abilities had become, but they were both patient and began to regain some of their former strength.

They were resting on Nam Cobanda Isle, the rain pouring down around them. Duke, Flynn and Yuri were sitting under Elucifer's wing, Flynn lying against Elucifer's side and Yuri patted his head, which was also under the wing with them.

"Children," Duke said suddenly, and both boys looked up, gazing at him with bright eyes. He gazed at them a moment, then closed his eyes. "You have grown strong over the short time you have been with us," he noted.

"Do you think? I still feel pretty weak.." Yuri mumbled, clenching his fist reflexively.

"It is more likely that you are now much stronger, and so the level of strength you were at before is only a portion of your true ability."

"I suppose that would make sense," Flynn agreed.

"You will likely be unable to reach the level of strength that matches to your abilities without particular training," Duke continued.

Yuri looked at him blankly, while Flynn nodded slowly. "Are you offering to teach us?" he asked.

"If you so wish it," Duke replied.

"I don't get why you talk so fancy," Yuri sighed.

"Therefore, we shall begin training tomorrow if that is suitable?" Duke suggested, ignoring Yuri.

"That would be great. Thanks, Duke," Flynn said happily, Yuri nodding.

* * *

The next morning, the four of them stood in the field, Elucifer and Yuri off to one side while Flynn and Duke stood with their weapons drawn.

"Get into your stance," Duke ordered. Flynn did so, his sword raised infront of him and legs spread apart. Duke eyed him a moment, then nodded. "Strike," he ordered, and Flynn lunged. Duke blocked him, then threw him back. "Good. Strike, but faster."

Flynn frowned, considering this a moment, before lunging. He quickly drew back, attacking over and over as quickly as he could. Duke blocked each of his attacks, but backed away a little each time, giving ground to Flynn.

Yuri gazed at Flynn a moment, then gave a hum of thought. "Flynn's got a different style from me," he realised.

Elucifer glanced at him in surprise. "How so?"

"He uses a two-handed weapon. I only use one hand. But our weapons are the same size."

Elucifer considered this, looking back at Flynn. "True. We didn't think when picking your swords, we just both got you shortswords. I suppose if you have different styles, that puts you at a disadvantage..."

"Well, not entirely. It works for me, because a short sword is better for my style. It's lighter, after all, so easy to handle," Yuri shrugged. Then he frowned. "Though it does mean I have less reach. I worked on my speed a lot when I was a kid to make up for the lack of reach, but I've gotten a lot slower after all this time. I'll have to work it up again."

"I guess Flynn's the only one at a disadvantage then," Elucifer said.

"Mmm. It'll be weird for him, actually. When he gets a proper two-handed sword, he'll be used to the weight of the shortsword, so he'll probably need to learn all this over again."

"That's true. We should get him a sword better suited for his style soon then, so he doesn't get too off-balance." Elucifer glanced at Yuri. "Why do you only use one hand, though? Don't you need a shield or something?"

"No...I've never used a shield. I use my free hand for punching, and then obviously I've learnt how to use both my hands while fighting."

"Oh, so that you can fight easily with the other if your main hand gets taken out?"

"Right. Though, it is my weaker hand, so it puts a lot more strain on it."

"I can imagine."

"How do you fight, Elucifer?"

Elucifer grinned, showing off his pointed teeth. "Tooth and claw. I'm an Entelexia, after all."

"Oh, good point. I guess you don't really need a weapon, huh."

Elucifer shrugged. "Some Entelexia do learn how to fight in their human forms with weapons, so that they can blend in with humans, but I'm not really that bothered. If someone is stupid enough to attack me or my friends, I'll rip 'em to shreds."

Yuri laughed. "Man, that must be cool."

Elucifer chuckled. "You bet it is. No one ever bothers me."

"Yuri! Your turn!" Flynn called as he walked back up to them, sweating lightly. Yuri nodded and drew his sword, walking past Flynn and taking his place infront of Duke.

"Are you ready?"

"Sure am, old man."

Duke refrained from rolling his eyes at the nickname, instead frowning. "Get into your stance."

Yuri stood with his sword gripped in one hand infront of him, feet again apart. Duke shook his head.

"Turn to the side. If you're only using one hand for your weapon, making it so that only your blade is facing your opponent makes you less of a target," he said.

Yuri shrugged, turning so that he was sideways on to Duke. He grunted in discomfort, rolling his shoulders.

"This is killing my neck," he muttered.

"For your style, it is necessary. Now, strike."

Yuri lunged forward, yelping as Duke brought his sword down and easily disarmed Yuri. The younger boy sighed and reached down, picking up his sword again.

"I really need to work on my speed..."

"I assume you aren't all that familiar with fighting different styles."

"Huh? Well, I've fought Flynn before, but that's about it. Everyone at the palace I fought against all used one hand."

"It is not the best style. Most people, when learning swordsmanship, learn to use a weapon one-handed to begin with, then move onto a better style. Continuing to use a one-handed sword style puts you at a disadvantage to many other styles; such as two-handed, sword and shield, large weapons, polearms, even the florentine style."

"Florentine?"

"Dual-weilding. Florentine is the correct term."

Yuri considered this. "Well, there isn't much I can do about that. I've only ever been taught one-hand, and I've already got a style to it. It'd be pretty hard to suddenly swap to a different style."

"Indeed...But I think we'll teach you another as a precaution. Elucifer? Any thoughts?" Duke asked.

Elucifer considered. "Florentine, probably. You said you already use your other hand in attacks, don't you?" he asked Yuri.

"Yeah...but I prefer leaving it free so I can easily swap between hands."

Duke inclined his head. "Then, please demonstrate," he said, lowering into his stance again.

Yuri did the same, the two remaining still for a moment, then Yuri ran forward, lunging. Duke went to block, but Yuri dodged round it, aiming for his chest. Duke brought his sword up, beating Yuri's blade back. The raven-head stumbled back slightly, then reached up and grabbed with his other hand, suddenly striking underneath Duke's weapon on the other side.

The two came to a stand-still, Yuri standing with his weapon pointed at Duke's side. Finally Duke nodded.

"Very well. You incorporate it well. Is this the only way you use your other hand to attack?"

"No...I was starting to make it so I punched and stuff with my free hand, too."

"Then we'll work on that as well. We should, however, incorporate a florentine style; a dagger to use to block attacks when you are in a more difficult situation should work well, and it will smoothly fit into what I want to teach you."

Yuri sighed but nodded. Duke looked up at Flynn, beckoning the other boy over.

"Flynn, you are already very adept at using a two-handed weapon already; I have noticed it is the wrong size and type, of course, which we shall amend soon. However, it would be wise for you also to learn a different style."

"Florentine?" asked Flynn, who quite liked the idea of using two swords.

"No. Rather, learning how to also handle a short-sword and using it as a one-handed weapon. To that extent, you can learn how to use florentine as well if you can easily grasp it."

"Wait, so Flynn's going to learn how to use one-hand too?" asked Yuri, confused.

"Correct. It means that should he be put in a position where he loses one hand, he can easily use a lighter weapon to accomodate - also the reason why you may not need to learn the florentine, Flynn. We will, of course, teach you how to use both hands with the short sword. Having a small shield on one arm for if you do happen to lose a hand and need to use a short sword may also be useful."

"Won't that make it awkward if I'm attacking with the arm which has the shield on?" asked Flynn.

"True...Armguards instead, then. This should also be helpful for your normal two-handed style."

"This sounds like it's going to be a lot of work..." Yuri sighed.

"We can't gain anything if we don't work hard for it, Yuri. Plus, having more than one style at our disposal to cover our weaknesses can be useful in surprising enemies," Flynn said sagely.

"Ugh, you're starting to sound like Duke."

"And you're sounding remarkably like Elucifer."

"Hey! I'm not _that _bad!"

Elucifer blinked, meeting Duke's gaze, then shrugged. He walked over, grinning and ruffling their hair.

"Alright, let's go into town and get you the weapons you'll need," he said.

* * *

**A/N: DO YOU SEE HOW MUCH RESEARCH!? LOOK AT ALL THAT SWORDY GOODNESS, LOOK AT THAT FLORENTINE STUFF, I RESEARCHED ALL THAT!**

**(For a good site about stuff like this, I recommend Lukrain's Guide to Boffers. It doesn't have full information on some stuff, but for simple things such as one-handed, two-handed and florentine, there's plenty to work with.)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Well wouldya look at that...This story went more than six chapters! Maybe it will reach 9-10 after all...Depending on chapter length, of course.**

* * *

It had been a few months since Duke had begun teaching them, and they'd both grown proficient in their new styles, as well as mostly perfecting their original styles. When Duke felt they were strong enough, the four of them headed out, going to different towns and cities to help people and fight monsters.

A lot of the time, while fighting monsters, the two older men held back. They watched the two boys fighting, and it began to show how well they worked together. They were like an indestructable team, easily able to accomodate for the other and moving around each other as if they were silently communicating where to go and what to do.

Even though it had been nearly three years, however, the group still felt it wise for Yuri and Flynn to cover themselves up. There was no way of telling if Kane was still searching for them, nor how far his influence stretched. When in areas that the new emperor controlled, however, it was obvious how different things were.

Just walking through the streets would reveal people dressed in ragged clothing, thin as bones and huddled underneath scrawny blankets. Some, seeing them and that they had money, would cry out for mercy. Duke mostly ignored them, though Elucifer looked troubled, and the two boys were generally stricken.

"I can't believe he would treat his own subjects so badly..." Yuri hissed.

Flynn nodded sadly. "I can't believe a man like that is my _uncle_," he replied quietly, eyes downcast.

Yuri glanced at him, frowning. "Hey, don't think like that. You're nothing like him."

"I know but...what if I grow to become like him? ...I wouldn't be able to stand it, Yuri."

"You won't. I won't let you. If I think you're turning into a psychopath like him, I'll beat you up until you see reason," Yuri reassured him, grinning.

Flynn looked at him in surprise, then smiled. "You have a strange way of making me feel better."

"It's just my natural charm," Yuri replied cheekily.

"Hah...maybe it is."

"What's the request today then?" Elucifer asked Duke, hands behind his head as they walked along.

"Retrieve a hairclip stolen by a monster," Duke replied.

"That's it?" Elucifer asked, pulling a face.

"People can't afford to ask for help anymore. Those who do are rich and have petty requests," Duke said with a shrug.

"Then maybe we should stop taking requests and just help people who really need it," Elucifer muttered.

Duke glanced at him, then closed his eyes. "Maybe we should," he agreed, giving nothing more to the conversation.

* * *

It had been almost an exact year since Duke and Elucifer had taken them in. Flynn had turned 10 the previous month, and Yuri was looking forward to being the same age again so that Flynn would stop teasing him.

They were woken early one morning by Elucifer and Duke packing the camp away. They sat up blearily, looking around in confusion.

"Huh? What's going on?" asked Yuri, giving a wide yawn.

The two men shared a glance, then Elucifer smiled at them. "We have something we need to do. So I'm afraid we'll have to part now."

"Why can't we come with you?" asked Flynn, confused.

"What we are doing is too dangerous for children like you. It would be unfair of us to put you in a position such as this...especially as it involves much bloodshed."

The two boys looked a little worried. "You two are gonna be alright though, right?" Yuri asked.

"Course we will! You think anyone could beat us?" asked Elucifer, grinning.

"Nuh uh! You two are way too strong!" Yuri declared.

"Right. So just believe in us and we'll be fine."

"But you'll come visit us, right?" Flynn said worriedly.

"As often as possible," Elucifer agreed, Duke giving a short nod after a moment. The two boys shared relieved grins, then stood up.

"We'll drop you off near Aspio. I imagine you have certain things you will be wanting to take care of," Duke said.

They nodded, climbing onto Elucifer's back as he transformed. Soon he was taking off, soaring over the ocean at an incredible rate.

Even though they had travelled so often on Elucifer's back, the sights around them still never failed to take their breath away. Everything rushed by in a blur, and yet the vibrant colours and brief sights they caught were enough to be stuck in their minds. The wind flowing around them, feeling Elucifer's wings beating underneath their bodies, every sensation was amplified tenfold in the incredible rush of adrenaline that surged through them.

When they finally reached their destination, landing a safe distance away so they wouldn't be spotted, they climbed off wish shared sighs. Elucifer briefly transformed back, hugging both boys, and Duke also gave them a brief pat on the head, before they had disappeared again, soaring through the sky.

Flynn turned to Yuri. "We better get going. Think they sell horses in Aspio?"

"I hope so. Walking all the way to Zaphias sounds daunting," Yuri replied.

"You sound like a spoilt rich kid," Flynn teased.

"Fine, you walk all the way to Zaphias and see how you feel."

Flynn kept a neutral expression, but Yuri grinned as he spotted the brief flicker of discomfort.

"Well, let's just check first. Who knows, Halure could sell some instead," Yuri pointed out, running ahead.

"Ah, Yuri! Wait!" Flynn called, running after him.

* * *

The two horses plodded along through the lush grass. The boys weren't in as much of a rush as before, so they allowed the steady pace so as not to tire their mounts out.

Aspio did have a few horses to sell, luckily, and after a thorough inspection, the two boys chose the best they could find. The owner didn't seem to know their worth, so the price was also pretty cheap, and as they had trotted off, Flynn had rolled his eyes as Yuri hummed to himself happily.

Yuri's 'mighty stead', as he called it, was a Palamino with a honey coat and a light golden-brown mane and tail. Flynn's, on the other hand, was a Lipizzaner with a 'white' coat and almost silver mane and tail, though he had dark smudges around his eyes and along the bottom of his tail.

Flynn was the one with more riding experiance, it turned out, and he quickly realised that both horses actually knew a few tricks. They were mostly for show, but could be used against enemies, which was helpful while fighting monsters.

Eventually they reached Halure, trotting into town. There were very few people around, which confused them; the last time they had been here, it was thriving, with people all over the place calling greetings to each other and working hard. Now it was like an empty ghost town.

"Where do you think everyone is?" wondered Yuri, looking around.

"I'm not sure...I suppose we should stop by the Inn and see if we can ask someone," Flynn decided. They stopped infront of the inn, tying their horses to the post infront before walking up the stairs and into the inn.

They recognised the man behind the counter as the same one from three years ago, and were silently grateful. They already knew him a little, so it would be easier to talk with him.

He'd seen their horses and could see by their clothes that they had quite a bit of money. Although they wore cloaks with the hoods drawn up, both of them held themselves in the regal way they'd been taught from childhood; apparently a habit not ruined by two years of hard labour.

As they approached the counter, the man bowed. "What can I do for you, my lords?" he asked, ignoring the fact that they were both pretty young.

Yuri glanced at Flynn in surprise before reaching up and pushing his hood back. Flynn did the same, and the man glanced up before staring.

"You two...?"

"Yes...What's going on? Where is everyone?" asked Flynn, frowning.

The man sighed, looking downcast. "The Emperor is strict...We have ridiculously high taxes, and yet if they aren't paid on time, they are arrested. He usually makes them fight in the army, against each other, or build massive structures and statues for him.."

"And the people put up with this?" Flynn asked, surprised. He remembered the country being very proud of itself, and the people were used to being treated fairly. He would have thought a protest would have been held by now.

"No one can fight him. He kills anyone who dares go against him. Unless the rightful heir was to return...But he's been missing for three, four years already."

"Rightful 'heir'?" Yuri asked, frowning. Both he and Flynn could claim the throne, after all..

"The Prince of the neighbouring country who was overthrown. The Prince of our country has already perished. There are the younger Prince and Princess, but they are fully under the Emperor's control. They cannot help us."

"And you have no idea what this missing heir looks like?"

The innkeeper shrugged. "Both heirs resembled their fathers. The one of our country was said to have deep-blonde locks, almost golden, and sapphire blue eyes; the heir of our neighbour had raven hair that came to his waist, and coal black eyes. One of my friends - he's long since dead, though - met our heir and said that he had eyes that burned like a fire so deep..."

The man trailed off suddenly, staring at them. Both boys perfectly matched both descriptions.

"Well, I don't know about eyes that burn like fire, but I'll agree with golden hair," Yuri said with a grin, nudging Flynn.

"Cut it out, Yuri.." Flynn muttered, sighing.

"A-Are you truly...?"

"If we aren't, I have no idea what we've been doing for the last ten years," Yuri shrugged.

The man came from behind the counter, falling to his knees and bowing infront of them. "Oh, mercy of the lord...Please, save our country...Save our people..!"

Flynn looked a little hesitant, while Yuri was troubled.

"Please, there's no need to do that. We will do all in our power to help everyone," Flynn promised.

Yuri frowned. "What happened to your pride? Everyone in this country used to be so hard-headed. Grovelling on the floor doesn't suit you," he said harshly.

"Yuri!" Flynn said angrily.

"Our pride got us nothing but dead, my liege. We abandoned everything that we were just to survive in this harsh world," the man replied, still not rising.

Yuri gave an irritated grunt, looking away. Flynn pulled out his money pouch.

"How much is it for a night here?" he asked.

"Oh no, my liege! I couldn't make you pay!"

"If we don't pay, you could be carted off like all these other guys. Accept the damn money," Yuri snapped.

"Yuri, will you please calm down," Flynn said to the other boy, frowning.

Yuri shrugged, watching as Flynn paid the amount needed before following him upstairs to his room.

* * *

**A/N: I wasn't sure about adding the last bit in this chapter, but oh well. And, more horses! The reason 'white' is in those weird little comma things is because no horse is actually white. They're called gray/grey (I have no clue which one is 'English'). So, yeah. Bit of horse trivia for you there.**

**Review?**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: We're getting to the good bits, folks. Sorry if this chapter is a little short, I threw everything off with last chapter's extra bit at the end.**

* * *

Flynn sat on the bed, deep in thought. Yuri rolled over from where he was lying next to him to look at him.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"My uncle needs to be stopped quickly," Flynn replied.

"Well, yeah. Obviously."

"I'm thinking of skipping sleeping in Deidon Hold and just going straight to Zaphias."

"Then what? Rest in Zaphias? We're more likely to get caught, y'know."

"Maybe not even that. Maybe we should just immediately head up to the castle as soon as we arrive."

Yuri sat up, frowning. "That'd be pushing it, Flynn. From here to Zaphias is a full day, and we need to be fully rested for when we raid the castle."

"From Deidon Hold to Zaphias is still a good half day. A half day of hard riding is not going to be the most refreshing thing; if we go at a good speed."

"If we could find a safe place to stay the night in Zaphias, we wouldn't have too much trouble," Yuri murmured.

"What if we slept outside the city's walls? Our horses will attract too much attention in the streets anyway, so we'll have to leave them out. If we use a camp to keep the monsters away from them, rest there the night, then move them a little farther away and use another one, we should be able to easily get in and out without too much trouble."

"You say it isn't going to be too much trouble, but he's the Emperor, remember. He's gonna have a lot of guards, and we don't really have a way to get through them. We can hardly announce we're the heirs, after all; they think you're dead and I'm missing."

"We could use one of the secret passageways. I sincerely doubt my uncle will be expecting any type of attack, so going through that way would be our best bet."

"And if we're caught?"

Flynn hesitated. "I'm not sure..."

"They're gonna recognise me. Worst comes to worst, just act scared."

"What? But Yuri, I can't leave you alone.."

"We don't have any choice, Flynn. If we want to take this bastard down, we have to make sure at least one of us has free reign. That'd be you."

Flynn gazed at Yuri a moment, then sighed. "Alright, fine. But this will only be a last resort, understand?"

"That's fine by me," Yuri replied with a shrug, lying down again. "Now get some sleep. We need to leave early in the morning."

* * *

**A/N: Oh, excuse me. A 'little short'? How about, a 'lot short'. This is so freaking short it shouldn't even be a chapter.**

**But next chapter HAD to be a separate chapter. I'm so sorry, my lovely little readers...Next chapter will be better, I promise!**

**Review?**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: And now, the chapter we've all been waiting for!**

* * *

Two days later, the two boys were quietly sneaking through the silent streets of Zaphias up to the castle. It was dark, as the two had decided it would be safer to go at night.

"Where's the exit to your secret passage then?" asked Yuri as they headed up the steps towards the most lush area of Zaphias - now called the Noble Quater.

"It's infront of one of the houses. The place was supposed to belong to a person who supported the King and his family, but I'm not sure who lives there now, so we'll have to be careful," Flynn replied quietly.

Yuri nodded, glancing around. They sneaked up to the Noble Quater, slipping through the gate and Flynn leading them towards a grand house. They heard footsteps behind them and quickly ducked behind the wall, crouching down and going as quiet as possible.

The footsteps crunched up towards their wall, pausing a moment as the figure turned. They heard the footsteps getting closer, and saw a flame torch coming into sight just above them.

"Derek! What are you doing?!" snapped someone from further up.

The torch paused then pulled back as the person turned. "I thought I saw someone," he replied.

Flynn pushed Yuri, indicating they should move. The two of them slipped silently beside the wall, heading towards a large statue in the courtyard.

"Well, where are they then?" asked the second person, joining the first. The two boys went still again, Yuri shooting a nervous glance at Flynn.

"I'm not sure...I thought maybe they'd gone behind here," the first man said, going round the wall and lifting his torch at the area they had been a few seconds before.

"Well?"

The man shook his head, frowning. "...Nothing here, sir. Sorry for the disturbance."

"Get back to your post! I commend you for your efforts, but it would be better if you don't cause a panic like this again."

"Of course, sir. Sorry sir."

The two people moved off, and they let out a sigh of relief.

"That was way too close," whispered Yuri.

"Yeah...We need to be more careful," Flynn replied just as quietly. He glanced around to make sure nobody was there before running to the statue, ducking behind it and looking around again. Then he reached up, pushing at the statue to move it.

Yuri quickly joined him, the two of them soon moving it slightly. The gap wasn't very big, but it was big enough for two small ten year olds to fit through it.

Flynn went first, Yuri following and dragging the stone back over them. He slid down the ladder, landing next to Flynn, and glanced around.

"Well, isn't this nice," he said sarcastically, pulling a face at the rancid smell.

"If it gets us into the castle, it doesn't really matter. Now come on, we don't have all night," Flynn said, running ahead. Yuri rolled his eyes then followed, the two of them easily making their way through the little passageway. There were a few monsters, but they were easily bested, the two boys barely making any effort with them.

Finally they reached the other end and paused, getting their breath back.

"You ready?" asked Yuri, glancing at Flynn. The blonde bit his lip, then nodded, gaze determined.

"Let's get on with this," he replied, starting to climb the ladder. He reached up and pushed the statue out of the way, slipping through the small gap. Yuri followed after him, pushing the statue back, before they looked around.

"Where now?" whispered Yuri.

"Uncle is probably sleeping in the main chambers, right?" Flynn pointed out.

"Right. Someone like him probably likes living in luxury," Yuri agreed.

"Then we should go to the main bedchambers."

The two boys started off simultaneously, silently making their way along the corridors. Flynn led the way, Yuri coming up close behind him and glancing back occasionally to make sure no one was coming up behind them.

Flynn glanced around another corner then quickly pulled back, pressing his back against the wall. Yuri quickly copied his action, trying to make his breathing lighter.

A patrolling knight walked by the corridor they were down, and the two boys stopped breathing.

'Don't turn around...Don't turn around...'

As the knight continued on his way, Flynn watched him go out of the corner of his eye. Finally, when he was out of view, Yuri let go of a shaky breath.

"That was way too close," he breathed.

"We're nearly there. Just keep down," Flynn replied, his voice barely able to be heard.

They continued on their way, still moving silently. They rounded another corner, Flynn glancing back at Yuri to make sure he was still there, before his eyes widened.

"Down!" he shouted, pushing the other boy down as the sword hissed over them.

The knight found his sword lodged in the wall slightly, and pulled against it, trying to unlodge it. The two boys leapt up and began running as the knight shouted, attracting the attention of the other knights.

"We have to split up. I'm the one they think is alive, they'll go after me," Yuri said as they rushed down the corridor.

"But.."

"I'll be fine. Go!" Yuri snapped.

Flynn hesitated then nodded peeling off and running down a different corridor. Yuri glanced back, pulling a face as he saw several knights already chasing him. He quickly ran down a different corridor, cursing as he found himself rushing past a couple more knights but not stopping or slowing. He merely ran faster, his raven hair flowing out behind him.

"Get him! It's the heir that Emperor Kane wants dead!" shouted one of the other knights as they rushed past.

Yuri glanced back, seeing that his crowd was quickly piling up.

"This is definitely not good," he muttered, looking back before gasping as he collided with several more knights.

They all went sprawling, Yuri rolling on the ground. He rubbed his head then pushed himself up, trying to get away. Someone clamped a hand around his ankle and he yelped, glancing back and kicking at the knight that had grabbed him.

"Get off me!" he snapped, kicking against him.

The rest of the knights quickly rounded the corner, and one of them reached down, restraining him. He fought against them, but he wasn't as strong as a full grown man, and was quickly subdued.

"We should take him to Emperor Kane. Alert him that we've caught an intruder, and it's the Prince," said one of the knights. The rest of them nodded and a couple hurried off, and Yuri glanced around worriedly.

This was _not _what he'd had in mind.

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter should be the grand finalé! I know this chapter isn't especially long either, it's more to just drag out the story than anything.**

**Review?**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: And now, everything ends! The world blows up!**

**No, not really.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Vesperia! Leave me alone! *sobbing***

* * *

Thanks to Yuri's distraction, most of the corridors were empty as Flynn jogged silently along them. He could hear the echoes of their shouted cries, but they were far enough that he didn't need to worry.

"Alert the Emperor! We've caught the intruder!" someone shouted.

Flynn turned in surprise, biting his lip. Yuri...

If they were going to tell his uncle, then they'd probably end up going to the throne room instead. He started down a different corridor, now more on his guard. They would probably still keep Yuri surrounded, but if they realised he was in the castle too...

It seemed his worries were unfounded, however, as he managed to sneak to a side door leading into the throne room.

Slipping behind one of the long drapes that was hanging next to the wall, he peeked out from behind it. A moment later, the main doors opened, and he felt his blood boil as his uncle entered the room with three knights around him.

"What is all the racket about? An intruder? What do _I _care about an intruder?" Kane snapped, scowling.

"It seems he's the Prince who slipped through your grasp three years ago, my Lord," one of the knights said, bowing.

Kane paused, glancing at him. "Oh...The son of that idiot, Zane? Interesting..." For a moment he was silent, then he nodded, turning. "Call him in," he ordered.

Two of the knights hurried back towards the doors, stepping out for a moment. Flynn watched, frowning, as a few minutes passed.

Suddenly the doors were thrown open, several knights coming in. Flynn blinked as he caught sight of Yuri fighting against them, trying to tear himself from their grasp; and, from the looks of it, the knights were having a hard time keeping a grip on him.

"Restrain him!" Kane ordered. The knights forced Yuri to his knees then pressed him against the floor, keeping his hands behind his back and pressing his head against the floor. He gave a snarl, trying to force his hands from their grips.

Kane walked over to him, frowning.

"You caused me a lot of trouble, _Prince _Yuri," he said, fingering the hilt of his sword.

"Good. Who'd want to make a bastard like you have an easy life?" Yuri snapped back, trying to kick out at one of the knights behind him.

"Would you like to know something?" Kane asked in a sickly sweet voice. Yuri glanced up, confused, and Kane knelt down so that they were gazing into each other's eyes. "I killed your father, that idiot Zane."

Yuri stiffened, his eyes widening, then clenched his teeth to force the tears down. There had always been a chance...slim, but a chance, that he was alive...

Kane stood up, wheeling away. "I must say though, it was rather a pity. I wanted to kill _you _infront of _him_, but you ran away before I could."

"You're a sick bastard. I hope someone stabs you in your sleep one day," Yuri snarled.

Kane shrugged, then pulled his sword from it's scabbard. Flynn blinked as he recognised Dein Nomos, the sword which would only show it's true powers when weilded by a true heir. In the past, it had been used by the Kings of both countries to show the new heir. It had also been used by two kings on the newer king's coronation to show they were linked. It was not surprising Kane had gotten his hands on it, but it angered Flynn that he would dare touch such a priceless relic.

"I have no more use for you. With you dead, this sword shall truly belong to me," Kane murmured, pressing the sword against Yuri's neck. Yuri stiffened slightly, then glared at Kane, refusing to show fear.

Kane lifted the sword to stab it through Yuri's neck. Flynn quickly reacted, leaping forward and drawing his sword, pressing the edge against Kane's neck.

Everyone went still, staring at Flynn.

"Don't you dare touch Yuri," Flynn hissed, venom in his voice.

"Oh? And who might you be?" asked Kane calmly, certain that his subjects would never dare kill him.

"You don't recognise me, _Uncle_?" asked Flynn.

Kane froze, and the knights around them stared.

"You...Flynn? But...you died!" Kane cried.

"Maybe you should have been more thorough," Flynn replied. He glanced at the knights holding Yuri down. "I suggest you get off him; whether you have any lasting respect for my Father, or for the safety of your Emperor's life."

Slowly the knights backed off, releasing Yuri. He pushed himself up, hissing in discomfort.

"Took you long enough," he muttered to Flynn.

"Sorry. I meant to step in a little sooner," Flynn replied.

Kane suddenly attacked Flynn. The blonde leapt back, easily avoiding the blow, and got into his stance. Yuri quickly pulled out his own sword, standing on the other side of Kane.

Kane scowled. "It seems two ghosts returned from the dead. Tell me, how did you survive?" he asked coldly.

"I believe it's called 'fate'," Yuri replied cockily.

"Then it shall be 'fate' that you both die here by my hand!" Kane shouted, lunging at Yuri. Yuri skipped backwards, knowing he had the disadvantage of a shorter weapon. He was hesitant to use his dagger already though, knowing it was his secret weapon.

Flynn leapt at Kane while he was still facing Yuri, thrusting his sword forward. Kane managed to block him, throwing him to the side. Flynn stumbled slightly before regaining his footing, ducking under the strike from Kane. Yuri jumped forward, slipping under the slash from Kane and kicking upwards at him.

Kane staggered back, only just avoiding the blow, and the two boys leapt back, standing again. They shifted slightly, gripping their weapons tightly.

"His weapon has more reach than ours," Yuri murmured.

"Obviously. He can handle a bigger blade."

"What should we do? Attack together or separately?"

Flynn bit his lip, then glanced at Yuri out of the corner of his eye. "I have more reach than you, and more power. If I do the main attacking, can you cover me?"

Yuri nodded, and Flynn's gaze slid back to Kane. The two stiffened slightly before Flynn darted forward, slashing at him. Kane blocked, the two struggling against each other. Kane started pushing Flynn back, and looked about to overpower him; Yuri suddenly darted in, slashing at his chest, and Kane disengaged his sword to block Yuri's attack.

Flynn stepped back, panting, as Yuri started attacking Kane instead. He lashed out with kicks and punches as well as attacking with his sword. As Kane went to slam Yuri's sword from his hand, Yuri threw it into the air. He went onto his hands, kicking at him before flipping and grasping his sword with his other hand, sending a wave of power flowing at him as he somersaulted back out of the way.

Flynn went back to attacking before Kane could recover, giving a low slash that lightly nicked him before lunging. Kane managed to force Flynn's sword to the side, reversing the blade and bringing it at Flynn's hand.

Flynn yelped as the sword cut his hand, causing him to drop his sword. He nursed it a moment, glancing up as Kane lifted his sword to slash down at Flynn, before Yuri was back, lifting his dagger to trap blades.

"Are you alright?!" he called to Flynn as he struggled against Kane.

"I'm fine!" Flynn replied.

"Good! Then get your sorry ass back in this fight!" Yuri ordered, lunging with his sword, his dagger still trapping Kane's sword.

Kane managed to dodge to the side, the sword missing him, then kicked at Yuri and sent him stumbling back. He leapt forward to bring his sword through Yuri's heart, before Flynn drew his other sword, batting Kane's to the side and just missing Yuri.

The two boys leapt back to a safe distance, but Kane charged after them, not giving them time to rest. They went different sides, easily coming to the back of Kane. Yuri darted in for a surprise attack, managing to get a brief slash on Kane's back before he turned, swinging his sword and catching Yuri's arm. The raven head jumped back, panting as he tried to regain his breath.

Kane paused, gazing at them. These boys were...odd. Their styles to begin with had been obvious; long sword for Flynn, and shortsword for Yuri. But now Yuri had two weapons, and Flynn had a shortsword, and they both looked comfortable using them. To swap styles half way through a battle...

"Who taught you to fight? He must have been proficient if he could even get you two half-decent," he taunted.

"If we're half-decent, you must be absolute rubbish," Yuri replied coolly. Kane glared at him, lifting his sword.

"I am the greatest warrior that ever lived! None can match my fighting prowess!"

Flynn suddenly rushed forward, attacking Kane and catching him on his hand. Kane gave a yell as he dropped his sword, it being too heavy to weild one-handed.

He glared at the boy. "H-How dare you! You cannot disarm the Emperor!" he shouted.

"Well, you did to me," Flynn pointed out, raising his hand. Then he reached down, grabbing the handle of Dein Nomos.

As he lifted it, it glowed, aer rushing down the blade. He gazed at it a moment, confused by how light it was, then held it out towards Yuri. Yuri glanced at Kane then sheathed his knife, walking forward and taking the handle of the sword as well.

Dein Nomos glowed even brighter. Everyone around them stared, then one by one the knights dropped to their knees, silently accepting that the two boys were the true heirs, and not Kane.

"What are you doing?! Stand up! Arrest them!" Kane shouted. No one moved, and Kane scowled before bowing his head in defeat.

"You've overstepped your boundries, Kane. You shall be stripped of all nobility and banished from Zaphias and Evalicia for the rest of your life," Flynn said coldly. This is what he had waited for. Since that day Kane had set the knights loyal to him on his family, chasing them from the city, and causing the death of his mother and father...finally, he was getting what he deserved.

Kane stood, head still bowed, as several knights came forward to take him away. Before they could grab him, however, he suddenly leapt towards Flynn, drawing a knife.

"If I shall go down, I'm taking you with me!" he snarled, lunging. Suddenly he was thrown off course, pain flaring through his side.

Flynn blinked as Kane hit the floor, Yuri above him. His sword was buried deep into Kane's side, and the older man struggled for breath as his lungs filled with blood. He choked, blood dribbling out of his mouth, then went limp.

Yuri straightened, gazing at the still figure of Kane, then glanced at Flynn. "Sorry. But I wasn't going to let him hurt you," he said quietly.

Flynn gazed at the body, then looked away. "It's alright. Someone like him would have tried to return anyway," he murmured.

"What should we do now, Your Highness?" asked one of the knights, saluting to Flynn.

"Highness?" Flynn asked, confused.

"Right. You're the Emperor now, remember?" Yuri pointed out, grinning.

Flynn hesitated, then shook his head. "Evalicia will be returned to you, Yuri..." he said.

"Nah, it doesn't matter. I don't have anything to return to anyway, and I prefer not being bound down like that. Besides, I'm so used to having you here, it'd probably be weird being apart!" Yuri replied.

"So you'll be staying in Zaphias?"

"Sure. If you'll have me."

"Of course we will. Are you sure you don't want us to split Evalicia from us, though?"

Yuri sighed. "I'm sure. With someone like you ruling them, they'll be in good hands," he replied.

Flynn gazed at him, then nodded, turning to the knights. "Alert all knights that Kane is dead, and I am the one in charge now. Free everyone in the dungeons and escort them to their homes, no matter how far they are. Begin distributing food and money around all the towns under the Empire's control, and arrest anyone who is known to have harmed or abused their power over others."

"Yes sir!" the knights replied, before filing out of the room. Flynn sighed, then turned to Yuri, smiling.

"It's been a long night," he noted.

"You can say that again. Come on, we've got a new bed, let's go try it out," Yuri said with a grin before happily heading out of the room.

Flynn paused a moment, gazing at the body of Kane. He was his last relative...Now, both he and Yuri were completely alone.

"Flynn? You coming?" asked Yuri, poking his head around the door.

Flynn glanced up at him then nodded, walking to the door. Well, not entirely.

I mean, he still had the stupid idiot of a Prince with him, so he guessed that was good enough.

* * *

**A/N: Super long chapter, attack! Take no prisoners!**

**So, yes. A very, ****_very _****long chapter for having two short chapters before this. However, this also finishes off this little ficcy.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed it. I quite liked writing this, actually, though I'm not sure what I'll write now...**

**And, for all those Fluri lovers out there...The likelihood they end up getting together after this is _extremely _high. I just can't write Fluri. But please, allow your imaginations to run wild.**

**(For the none Fluri lovers, hey, they don't _have _to get together. They could just live happily in the same castle the rest of their lives)**

**Thank you for reading this. I hope everyone enjoyed it.**

**I'm taking a break from posting things because **

**1) I need more stories to post, and I only have another finished ToV fic...**

**2) I'm still settling back into school, so everything's a little hectic.**

**Until then, no more fics from me for a little while (shouldn't be too long, at least...) Thanks for your patience!**

**Review? And thanks!**


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